Engine starting mechanism



9 D. P. KEARNEY. 1 870367 ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 8- 9, 1932- D. P. KEARNEY 1,870,367

ENGINE TARTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 27, 1931 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 12 ii I j 39 22 t 1 v bdfi j JNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE .DANIEL P. KEARNEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIG AN, ASSIGNOB TO ECLIPSE MACHDIE COH- PANY, OI ELHIBA, NEW YORK, .A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK I ENGINE STARTING HEOKANISM Application filed August- 27, 1931. Serial No. 559,721.

10 pinion to move back and forth or pump as the engine goes over its compression points, and under certain conditions this motion may be suflicient to cause demeshing of the pinion.

It is an object of the present invention to 35 provide a novel device for holding a starting pinion in its operative position until the engine starts.

Another object is to provide such a device which holds the pinion fully meshed with the go engine gear during cranking, but is automatically withdrawn to allow the pinion to be demeshed when the engine starts. A further object is to provide such a device which functions also as an anti-drift means to frictionally retain the pinion in its idle position except when the starting motor is energized. v

Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the parts being shown in full lines in their idle position, and in dotted lines in driving P t o F 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section of certain elements of the drive shown in the positions assumed when the anti-pumping means is released;

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the lilie 4-4 of Fig. 3;

.Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing in full lines the parts in normal position and in dotted lines thepositions assumed at the initiation of the releasingaction of the anti-pumping device;

Fig. 6 is a view. similar to Fig. 1 of a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a plan-view of the same;

Fig. 8 is a side view partly in section of certain elements of the drive shown in Fig. 6, the parts being in the positions assumed when the anti-pumping means is released;

Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a similar sectional view taken substantially on the line 1010 of Fig. 6.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a starting motor 1 having an extended armature shaft 2 arranged to support and actuate the starter drive, Power means in the form of a threaded shaft 3 and a driven head 4 are loosely mounted on the motor shaft 2 and are provided with a lost motion connection therebetween formed by a cam lug 5 on the driven head 4 and a bell 6 formed on the end of the screw shaft 3, overlapping the end of'the driven head 4 and having a slot 7 to receive said lug. The lost motion between the power members 3 and 4 is normally taken up, and the lug 5 held against a shoulder 8 at the driving end of the slot 7 as illustrated in Fig. 5 by yieldin means such as a torsion spring 9 connecte between said power members.

The driven head 4 is connected for rotation with the motor shaft 2 by a yielding driving connection in the form of a spring 11 fixed at one end to a driving head 10 on the motor shaft as by means of a stud 12 and connected at its other end to the driven head as by means of a stud 13.

A driving member in the form of a pinion 14 is threaded on the power member 3 in position to be moved thereby into and out of meshing engagement with a member such as a flywheel 15 of the engine to be started, the pinion being moved into mesh with the engine gear upon actuation of the startin motor and being moved out of engagement t erewith by the overrunning action of the engine gear when the engine starts.

According to the present invention means 1 are provided for positively holding the pinion 14 in fully meshed relation with the engine gear 15 during the cranking operation in best shown in Fig. 1, the latch 16 is normally arranged to bear frictionally on the flange 19 under the action of a spring 21, and when the inion is advanced into drivin position the liitch is arranged to fall in behind the flange as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 whereby the return movement of the pinion is prevented. v

, It will be noted that the latch 16, due to its frictional contact with the flange 19 operates to prevent the pinion from drifting toward the flywheel gear 15 when the motor 1 is not actuated, this anti-drifting function being enhanced if desired by a suitable inclination of the end of latch 16 such as shown at 22. Inward motion of the latch 16 is preferabl limited by means such as a stop 23 on the be 1 portion6 of the shaft 3.

Means are provided for moving the latch 16 out of locking position when the engine starts, by forming a suitable cam contour on the lug which is ada ted to enga and raise the latch 16 when t e screw sha 3' is rotated in advance of the driven head 4 to the limit of the lost motion therebetween. When the latch is so lifted, the pinion is free to be returned to its idle sition by the overrunning action of the flyw eel gear.

In operation, starting with the parts in the positions illustrated in Fig; 1, energization of starting motor 1 causes t e rapid rotation of the driven head 4 from the motor shaft,

which rotation is transmitted directly to the screw shaft 3 through the engagement of the lug 5 against the shoulder 8. The consequent rapid acceleration of the screw shaft 3 causes the pinion 14, due to its inertia, to be threaded lon itudinall into meshing engement with the flyw eel gear 15. At the fi init of this longitudinal movement the flange 19 of the pinion moves beyond the end of the latch 16, allowing said latch to fall in behind the flange, resting on the stop 23 and locking the pinion in meshed position 55 during the cranking operation.

engages the latch 16 and raises it out of lock When the engine starts, the engine ar drives the pinion 14 at a greatly acce erated speed, thus causing the screw shaft 3 to run a and of the driven head 4 until the cam 5 ing position. The pinion 14 is then thrown back out of engagement with the engine r, in which position the pinion is retained y the. frictional engagement of the surface 22 of latch 16 upon the flange 19. It will be understood that this frictional engagemcnt is sufficient to prevent the pinion from drifting into engagement with the engine gear when the motor 1 is stationary, but is not suflicient to apprcci ably hinder translation of the pinion into mesh with the engine gear when the motor is energized for the starting operation.

It has been found in practice that the device herein disclosed not only prevents the pumping action above referred to but is also effective in preventing disengagement of the starter pinion in cace of a so-called false start. It sometimes happens, particularly when an engine is cold, that when the starter is operated, one or a few quick ex losions are secured whereupon the engine \vi stop. In such cases, the starter pinion will ordinarily be demeshed unless the acceleration of the starting motonis sufiicient to keep up with the temporary acceleration of the engine flywheel. When ch demeshing occurs, it is necessary for the operator to remove his foot from the starting pedal to allow the motor to come to rest before a restart can be secured.

The prescntldevice assists in preventingsuch 1 an undesired disconnection of the. starting pinion since it is necessary for the engine ywheel to cause the starting pinion to rurl ahead of the motor through the lost motion provided between the screw shaft 3 and the driven head 4 before it can start to thread the pinion 14 back on the screw shaft. This gives the starting motor a chance to acceler-.

inclusive show a second em-,

but the screw shaft and driven head 40. are reversely formed in that the screw shaft SOhasacaml Mformedontheinner end thereof and driven head has a bell 25 formed thereon overlapping the inner end of the screw shaft 30 and having a slot 26 to, receive said lug. The lo:t motion between" the power members 30 and 40 is normall taken up, and the lug 24 held agaimt a shou der 27 at the driving end of the slot 26 as il means such between said lustrated in Fig. 10 by yieldieizg as a torsion spring 28 connect power members.

In this embodiment of the invention alatch.

29' corresponding to latch 16, is pivoted on the bell 25 as indicated at 31, and is ably pressed inward by means of a spring 32 mounted on an extension of said bell as shown at 33. The bell is fer-ably guiding meam 34 or the latch.

provided with yield- 1 tion of sprin 28 into the position shown in Fig. 9, raising the latch 29, whereupon the pinion 14 is thrown back by the overrunning action of engine member 15 to its idle position where it is retained by the frictional engagement of the latch with the flange 19.

Although certain forms of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it

will be understood that various other embodiments are possible and changes may be made in the proportions and arrangements of the parts herein illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In starter gearing for internal combustion engines, power means, a driving member connected thereto for automatic movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, means for retaining said driving member in idle position un til the power means are actuated and for thereafter locking the driving member in operative engagement with the engine mem her, and means for rendering said locking means inoperative when the engine starts.

2. In starter gearing for internal combustion engines, power means, a driving member connected thereto for automatic movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, a latch for looking the driving member in operative engagement with the engine member, and means for moving said latch out of locking position when the engine starts, said latch being thereafter operative to frictionally retain the driving member in idle position.

In starter gearing for internal combustion engines, power means, a driving member connected thereto for automatic movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, a latch pivoted to said power means, yielding means urging said latch in a directionto frictionally engage the driving member and retain it in idle position, said latch being arranged to positively lock the driving member.m operative engagement with theengine member, and a cam member operative on a reversal of the direction of drive through the power means to release the latch from locking position and allow the pinion to return to idle position.

4. In starter gearing for internal combustion engines, power means including two elements connected for limited relative lost motion, a driving member connected to one of said power elements for automatic movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, means mounted on one of said ower elements for locking the driving mem er in operative engagement with the engine member, and means mounted on the other power element for rendering said locking means inoperative when the engine starts.

5. In starter gearing for internal combustion engines, power means including two elements connected for limited relative lost motion, a driving member connected to one of said power elements for automatic movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, a latch mounted on one of said power elements for locking the driving member in operative engagement with the engine member, and a cam mounted on the other power element for moving said latch out of operative position when the engine starts.

6. In starter gearing for internal combustion engines, power means including two power membersconnected for limited lost motion, a driving member connected to one of said power members for rotation thereof andtherewith, and connected to .be moved thereby into and out of engagement with a memberof an engine to be started, yielding means normally taking up the lost motion be tween the power members to provide a rigid drive therethrough, means mounted on one of said power members for holding the driving member in engagement with the engine member, and means on the other power member adapted upon a reversal of torque through said power members to move said holding means to inoperative position.

7. In starter gearing for internal combustion engines, power means including two power members connected for limited lost motion, a driving member connected to one of said power members for rotation thereof and therewith, and connected to be moved thereby intoand out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, yielding means normally taking up the lost motion .between the power members to provide a rigid drive therethrough, means mounted on one of said powermembers adapted to engage a portion of the driving member and resist movement thereof away from idle position, said means being also arranged to resist disengagement of the driving member from the engine member, and means on the other power member operative on a reversal of torque through the power means to move said resisting means out of engagement with the driving member.

8. An automatic starter drive including a motor driven power means comprising a driving head and a screw shaft a lost motion driving connection therebetween, a

pinion threaded on said screw shaft and adapted to engage and drive a gear of the engine to be started, a detent on one of the elements ofv said power means adapted to '5 resist longitudinal movement of the pinion,

and means on the other of said elements operative by virtue of said lost motion connection to disengage the detent 9. An automatic starter drive including a motor "driven power means comprising a driven head and a screw shaft having a 0st motion driving connection therebetween, a pinion threaded on one element of said power means and adapted to engage and drive a gear of the engine to be started, said pinion having an annular flange fixed thereto, a latch on one element of said power means adapted to engage, said flange and resist longitudinal movement of the pinion, and means on the other element of said power means operative by virtue of said lost motion connection to disengage the latch from said flange;

10. An automatic starter driveincluding 88 a motor driven ,power means comprisin a driven head.and a screw shaft having a fist motion driving connection therebetween, a pinion threaded on one element of said power means and adapted to engage and drive a 80 gear'of'the engine to be started, said pinion having an annular flange fixed thereto, a latch on one element of said power means adapted to frictionally engage said flange to resist movement of the pinion away from idle position and to abut said flange to prevent disengagement of the pinion from the engine gear and a cam on the other element of said power means opera ive by virtue of said lost motion connection. -to disengage the latch from said flange. y 11. An automatic starter drive including a. motor driven power means comprisin a 1 driving head and a driven shaft having a 0st motion driving connection therebetween, a pinion mounted on said shaft for rotation thereof arid therewith, and for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, a member on one of the elements of said power means normally resisting longitudinal movement of the pinion, and means on the other of said elements brought into operation after taking up of the lost motion on reversal of the directionof drive between said elements to render said resisting means inoperative.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. t

, DANIEL P. KEARNEY. 

